Sometimes the life and finish of an open water swimmer can be lonely.

Training up and down a coast or in a lake in preparation for a long swim is an accepted practice of open water swimmers. Finishing upon a deserted shore, sometimes at night or at most welcomed by a few well-wishers, after hours or days of non-stop swimmers with very little visual simulation, is also generally accepted by marathon swimmers.

But a few swimmers create a buzz and ambiance around their themed swims. Whether it is Lewis Pugh swimming to bring attention to the blight of the 140,000 people of the Maldives or Marcos Díaz bringing attention to the coastal cleanup projects in his native Dominican Republic or swimming twice around Manhattan Island, these swimmers’ attempts generate an atmosphere and crowds that are exciting and sizable.

Pugh, in his 2007 10-day stage swim across the width of the Maldives, highlighted the blight of the Maldives, one of the world’s most low-lying islands that is at risk of being submerged due to climate change. Imagine a population of 140,000 who know that sometime their entire nation will be underwater. No wonder the attention and exploits of Pugh were so warmly greeted by the local people.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source